Make people wonder about why you’re so joyful and full of hope – direct it all back to Jesus.
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SHAUNA: I’m Shauna with Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Thank you for joining us!
JONI: Okay, I’m going to date myself here, but when I was growing up, the hero of nearly every kid was Roy Rogers, the singing cowboy, and of course, Dale Evans, his cowgirl sweetheart. They made movies, starred in their own television show, wrote songs that were popular on commercial radio. In fact, in 1955, Dale Evans wrote a song that reached the top 10 on major U.S. music charts. And every time it came on, we’d sing along with Roy and Dale, “Have faith, hope, and charity, that’s the way we live successfully; how do I know? The Bible tells me so.”
Nowadays? It’s hard to believe commercial radio stations even played songs like that. And as a little girl, I wasn’t sure where the Bible told me about faith, hope, and charity, but decades later I would read those three important words in 1 Corinthians 13. It says, “So now faith, hope, and love abide [love’s the same word as charity], these three; but the greatest of these is love.” What’s so special about these three virtues, and how do they relate? Well, your faith is informed by what has already taken place. Faith looks back to what happened in the past; it anchors us in the past work of Christ. We have faith in Jesus because His obedience, death, and resurrection assure everything God has promised us. Through faith in Christ, God has justified us and cleared our debt from sin. Through faith, God has adopted us as His children. As we exercise faith, the Holy Spirit partners with us in our own sanctification. And one day in heaven, our faith will be sight—God will glorify us, including our resurrected bodies. The more we trust God for all these things, the stronger our faith grows.
Now, God has taken an oath to keep that promise about all these things I just mentioned; and so, it makes our hope stronger than disappointment, and deeper than suffering, and steadier than our typical feelings. Your future is not fragile; it’s guaranteed because Jesus lived the life you could not live and died the death you truly deserve. And this is where hope comes into play. Hope is faith that looks forward. It’s virtually the same as faith, except that it looks to the future. Also, Hope helps us in the present because it reminds us of God’s promises about the future. Hebrews 11 says it best, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for…” I love that word, substance because it tells me everything that God has promised about our future is rock-solid, substantial, and real. No wonder we can be joyful in hope.
So, faith, hope, and love are all virtues that point toward God. Faith reaches back to the past. Hope looks forward to God and His promises yet to be fulfilled. And of course, love is what God is all about. Love is the greatest of these virtues. And that’s why the verse in 1 Corinthians 13 says that faith and hope will pass away, but love will remain forever because love reflects the very character of God to everyone – whether believers or nonbelievers. So, “Have faith, hope, and charity; that’s the way to live successfully; how do I know? The Bible tells me so.” Thanks for sparking the curiosity of this little girl, wondering what you all were singing about, right Shauna?
SHAUNA: Oh, you’re so right, Joni. And Lord Jesus, help our listening friend to keep growing in faith, hope, and yes, love.
© Joni and Friends